This section provides background information to facilitate a better understanding of the various aspects of the disclosure. It should be understood that the statements in this section of this document are to be read in this light, and not as admissions of prior art.
Positive guide-drive, endless rubber tracks such as those used on agricultural or industrial vehicles typically have an internal, center row of individual guide-drive lugs which engage guide-drive bars on a guide-drive wheel. The continued use and contact between the guide-drive bar and guide-drive lugs cause internal lug stresses and surface wear at the points of contact. Additionally, the internal, center row of lugs are typically functioning not only to transmit power from the guide-drive wheel to the track, but also to retain the track on the vehicle. Contact between the vehicle undercarriage wheels and lateral end of the guide surfaces of the inner lugs frequently occurs as the vehicle maneuvers during normal service. This contact can cause wearing of the inner lugs, which can be severe, depending upon various vehicle design features and application use. Driving and/or guiding forces on the inner lugs, henceforth referred to also as guide-drive lugs, can lead to cracks and eventual chunking of the rubber surface, and possibly to complete removal of the guide-drive lugs, making the track unserviceable. Thus, a track belt having guide-drive lugs which are stronger and more resistant to wear is desired.
United States Patent Publication No. 2008/0136255 A1 discloses an endless track belt for use in an industrial or agricultural vehicle. The endless rubber track belts described therein include a rubber carcass having an inner surface having one or more guide-drive lugs and an outer surface having tread lugs. The guide-drive lugs include reinforcement layers that partially or substantially cover all or a portion of the end faces of the guide-drive lugs. The reinforcement layers may include continuous strips, or discrete strips. The reinforcement layer may also be fabric cut outs to match the shape of the guide-drive end faces of the guide-drive lugs.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,974,196 B2 describes an endless track for an industrial or agricultural vehicle consisting of a body formed of a rubber material having an outer surface displaying a series of ground engaging profiles longitudinally spaced along the surface and an inner surface displaying a series of longitudinally spaced guide-drive lugs adapted to be engaged by guide-drive sprockets on the vehicle driving assembly. The body of the endless track is fabric reinforced. One layer of fabric longitudinally extends at a distance from the inner surface of the track and has a width slightly less than the width of the guide-drive lugs so that the fabric may extend inside the guide-drive lugs to increase their rigidity.
U.S. Pat. No. 8,567,876 B2 discloses a concept for a fabric reinforced rubber track guide-drive lug that provides a guide-drive lug which incorporates a fabric on or close to the surface of the lug to provide reinforcement. However, in some conditions, this surface reinforcement is often substantially abraded in service by contact with the wheels of the tracked vehicle and consequently does not last through the potential life of the track.
Thus, there is an ongoing need for endless tracks for industrial or agricultural vehicles with improved guide-drive lugs that extend the useable life of the track in conditions where guide-drive lug wear or damage are the primary life limiting conditions, such need met, at least in part, with embodiments according to the following disclosure.